October 23, 2011

Kolkata: The West Bengal
government has ordered a retest for a batch of 156 engine drivers of the Fire
Service department who got their jobs about eight months ago after going
through all necessary tests.

The
order was issued by Indevar Pandey, Principal Secretary, Fire department, some
time back after Director of Fire Services Gopal Bhattacharya wrote to the
government that 27 of the 156 drivers, who were recruited during the fag end of
Left Front rule, were not fit to drive fire engines and were recruited without
proper tests.

Since
the 27 could not be singled out, the fire department called all the 156 for a
retest of their driving skills.

“The
tests are going on. I will not say anything more on this,” Bhattacharya told
The Indian Express.

The
move, however, has not gone down well with a section of officials believing
that it could lead to complications.

“If
any of the drivers goes to court, the government would be in a fix as they were
taken in after all the tests, including medical. Apart from that they are in
service and have been receiving salary for the past eight months. How can you
take a retest now? What will you do if any of them disqualifies,” asked one
official.

In
another mysterious development, the complaint sent by Bhattacharya to the Secretary
was on Wednesday found missing from the file.

“This
must have been an insider job, somebody is trying to shield the man or group of
men who were responsible for those appointments during the Left Front
government,” said one official.

The
Fire Department is facing a leadership crisis as Pandey, who handles two other
departments as well - Home (Personnel) and Disaster Management — hardly finds
any time it.

“He
never sits in his office in the Fire Department. Many projects and plans have
fallen. The department is in doldrums,’’ an official alleged.

KOLKATA:
Production in the secondary steel sector of West Bengal has fallen as heavy
rains have prevented the state-run Coal India Limited (CIL) from supplying
enough of the vital raw material.

The
sector expects to be further hit because there will be no e-auction of coal for
it this month. It is on hold to divert the raw material to power stations.
These auctions are a 'lifeline' to the secondary steel sector.

Coal
supply to power and steel plants are badly affected as the coal giant was
unable to meet its target in the first half of the current fiscal, the output
falling short by around 20 million tonnes (MT) due to adverse weather
conditions.

Against
the target of 196 MT, largely due to heavy rains the Maharatna company could
produce only about 176 MT of coal from April to September.

Steelmakers
said the coal crisis for the steel sector will aggravate further with CIL's
recent decision to offer four million tonnes of additional coal by e-auction to
the power sector in October.

"Plants
in West Bengal are on the verge of closing down due to acute coal
shortage," Kolkata-based Shyam Steel director Lalit Beriwala told IANS.
"We have been particularly facing severe shortage of coal for the last six
months because of short supply from the CIL."

Beriwala
said the state was currently producing at half its installed capacity.

"No
new coal linkage has been given for the last four years in the state," he
said.

He
said prices of coal distributed through e-auction were very high; moreover, no
trader should be allowed in the e-auction because they tend to jack up prices.

The
coal distribution policy in the country has to be changed, he said.

On
CIL's decision to put on hold the e-auction for the month of October, Beriwala
said it will aggravate the coal crisis for steel producers as they purchased a
bulk of coal through this medium.

"Now
70 percent of the steel plants will be closed down in West Bengal. I do not
know what will be the fate of industry in the state if the government does not
take any action," he added.

Another
major steelmaker in the state, Jai Balaji Group, said it had resorted to more
coal import from abroad.

"For
the last few months, we have been facing severe shortage of domestic coal
supplied by CIL and its subsidiaries," Jai Balaji Group chairman and
managing director Aditya Jajodia said.

"Due
to that our coal import has been increased by 25 percent. As a result cost of
steel production has soared by about 40 percent," he added.

Jajodia
said CIL's decision on e-auction of coal was a "negative
development". "It will hurt steel sector as a whole," he added.

Santosh
Bajaj of the Merchants' Chamber of Commerce ( MCC) said the steel sector in the
state was facing supply as well as demand constraints.

"Bengal
steel plants are facing a raw materials crisis, more in the recent times,
because of the short supply in coal. Demand for steel is low because of low
spending on infrastructure. If demand was high then the base price would have
been higher. It would have ensured good profit for steel makers," Bajaj
said.

Moreover,
according to him, steel producers are also facing a working capital crisis as
interest rates are too high.

Rajasthan,
Maharashtra, Jharkhand, and Karnataka have shown high-growth momentum in
agricultural foodgrain production during the last five years and have the
potential to contribute significantly to India’s foodgrain basket.

The
share of these low-foodgrain yielding states in the total foodgrain production
of India have improved from 17.4 per cent to 19 per cent during 2002-06 period
over 2007-11 period.

However,
the contribution of the states with high-yield foodgrain production like
Punjab, Kerala, West Bengal, and Uttar Pradesh to the national basket has
declined from around 41 per cent to around 38 per cent during the same period,
a study conducted by PHD Chamber Research Bureau said here today.

Jharkhand
posted 40 per cent growth in the foodgrain production during the last
five-year-period (2007-11) over the previous five-year period (2002-06),
growing from 2.28 million tonnes (mt) (annual average) in 2002-06 to 3.20 mt
(annual average) during 2007-11 period.

Similarly,
Rajasthan posted a foodgrain production growth of 21.84 per cent over the same
period, growing from 12.62 mt (annual average) in 2002-06 to 15.38 mt (annual
average) during 2007-11.

Foodgrain
productions in Karnataka and Maharashtra have also grown at impressive rates of
24.09 per cent and 22.3 per cent, respectively, the PHD Chamber study said.

The
green revolution effect of high-yield agrarian states like Punjab, and Uttar
Pradesh seems to be fading. The foodgrain production growth in these states has
reached a saturation point, the study pointed out.

Punjab,
the significant contributor to the foodgrain production of India where per hectare
yield is also highest in the country (4,148 kg/hectare), has registered around
eight per cent growth in the last five-year period (2007-11).

Foodgrain
production in West Bengal (2,561 kg/hectare) and Uttar Pradesh (2,260
kg/hectare) have grown at modest (-)2 per cent and eight per cent,
respectively, the study added. Kerala with 2,896 kg/ hectare foodgrain
production has grown at a disappointing (-) 10.9 per cent.

It
is a matter of concern that the states with high yield of foodgrain production
like Punjab, Kerala, West Bengal, and Uttar Pradesh have registered a declining
trend in the growth of food grains.

Their
contribution to the national basket has declined from around 41 per cent in
2002-06 period to around 38 per cent during 2007-11 period. In comparison to
this, the share of the low-yielding states including Rajasthan, Maharashtra,
Jharkhand, and Karnataka have improved from 17.4 per cent to 19 per cent during
the same period, according to the study.

On
the contrary, states with low-foodgrain yield per hectare, which have not been
exploited to the fullest, have registered high-growth potentials during the
period, the study said.

Kolkata: In a setback to West Bengal
Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s move to please Muslims, a representative body
of private religious madrasas in the state has rejected Mamata’s offer of
affiliation to 10,000 madrasas. West Bengal Rabeta Madaris-e-Islamia Arabia
rejected the offer saying there is a conspiracy to bring religious madrasas in
political fold.

“Muslim should be aware of the
government recognition offer for Islamic madrasas. Most of the Islamic madrasas
in West Bengal are following the syllabus of Darul Uloom Deoband and Mazahir
Uloom Saharanpur. Any madrasa run by Rabeta will never take Government
recognition announced by the Chief Minister of West Bengal,” said Mufti Abul
Qasim Nomani, Chancellor of Darul Uloom Deoband.

Addressing a press conference here
on 13th October, Maulana Nomani said “If Government wants to do something leave
targeting Madrasa. Madrasa should have right to go their own way, destination
Islamic Education.”

“Religious Madrasa should not take
any Government Assistance. In Sachar Report we have seen only 4% Madrasa
students. The rest are going to school or modern education centres. Government
should take care of schools not Muslim-run Islamic Madarsa. Madrasas are
teaching Islamic lesson. We have right to teach Islamic Education and build
Islamic Educational Institution to our choice, which stated in Indian
Constituency. We will abide Indian Constituency not State run Government Rule,’
Maulana Nomani roared.

He and other leaders of West Bengal
Rabeta Madaris-e-Islamia Arabia questioned the affiliation offer of the CM by
raising the issue of the number of madrasas in the state. They said the largest
madrasa body Rabeta is running only 700 madrasas. So how will the govt get
10,000 madrasas in West Bengal?

Maulana Siddiqullah Chowdhury said
the declaration of recognition to 10000 Madrasas by Mamata Banerjee led West
Bengal Government is totally fake. Because there are not 10000 madrasas in West
Bengal right now. It is a conspiracy against Islamic education, he said.

In reply to a question about
Mamata’s claims that 90% of Muslim development issues has been covered
successfully, Chowdhury said, the people of West Bengal knows well, they are
doing nothing. This is a totally fake propaganda.

Principal of Mazahir Uloom
Saharanpur said: If Madrasas are willing government assistance then Islamic Lesson
might be dropped. So, Muslims should keep distance from Government Affiliation.

These eminent clerics and heads of
renowned madarasas in the country were speaking at a press conference called at
the end of two-day conference (12-13 Oct) of madrasas called by West Bengal
Rabeta Madaris-e-Islamia Arabia at Jamia Islamia Madani near Dumdum Airport in
Kolkata.

The conference was attended by
around 700 Madrasas from 19 districts of the state. Eminent figures who
featured the conference were Mufti Abul Qasim Nomani (Chancellor of Darul Uloom
Deoband and president of All India Rabeta Madaris-e-Islamia Arabia) Maulana
Shahid (Principal of Mazahir Uloom Saharanpur), Mufti Salman (Professor of
Jamia Shahi Muradabad) and Maulana Yusuf (Gujarat Darul Uloom). The conference
was presided over by Maulana Siddiqullah Chowdhury.

From deferent districts of West
Bengal lots of Islamic clerics and teachers attended the conference.

Some important points discussed at
the conference:

1. To make good relation among
Madrasas and should take care to build up coordination.

2. Rabeta Members will have an eye
on Anti-Madrasa campaign

3. To increase quality of learning
system-- Madrasa concern has to be taken special care.

4. To save Islamic Culture we have
to spread benefit of Islamic education in the society.

5. Darul Uloom Deoband and Jamiat
Ulama-e-Hind advised to keep safe distance from Government Financial help to
run the madrasa. Madrasa should follow as usual process to collect donation
form Muslim Community, society.

6. Govt of West Bengal declared to
give the government affiliation to the 10000 Madrasa in West Bengal. This is
the conspiracy to manage the Madrasa in political outfit. So, Madrasa should
not take any government recognition.

Ashok Jiban, Jhargram: Spokesperson of the People's Committee against Police
Atrocities (PCPA), Ashok Jiban, has said that West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata
Banerjee has failed to deliver on the promises she made to the Maoists before
the state elections.

While
reacting to recent statements by Mamata Banerjee, Jiban said: "She
(Banerjee) talked about peace during her visit here. We also want peace and for
making the environment conducive for peace she will have to keep her promises
and then the process of continuous discussions will bring back permanent peace
here."

He
also said that the Maoist prisoners arrested during the conflicts must be
released as was promised earlier.

"First
we want withdrawal of the security forces, then we want the unconditional
release of all the prisoners and withdrawal of false cases. In the past, when
the CPI(M) established a new government, they released prisoners without any
condition. Uttar Pradesh government also released prisoners on her birthday,
recently the Orissa government also released prisoners and the military junta
government of Myanmar controlled by Army also released 6300 prisoners. They all
didn't establish their respective governments with any promises but the Chief
Minister of West Bengal made these promises before the elections," he
added.

Jiban
also said that Banerjee's call to the Maoists to give up arms is a farce as
there are other gangs controlled by political parties, which need to be
disbanded.

"The
Chief Minister said that the rebels have given up arms. But the people don't
have any arms. It is in the hands of the CPI(M)'s Harmad. It is in the TMC's
(Trinamool Congress) Bhairab Bahini's hands. Arms are also in the Maoist's
hands, but Maoists are not like the Harmad and Bhairab gangs because they have
their own ideals. They should not be compared with these gangs under any
circumstances. But these gangs attack villages regularly so their arms must be
seized first," he asserted.

Malda : Congress, which runs an alliance
government with the Trinamool Congress in West Bengal, today alleged its
ministers were not being given a free hand to work in the state and warned
against "undermining" the party's importance.

"Congress party workers are not being
given a free hand in the state despite being an alliance partner. This should
be protested against," said senior West Bengal Pradesh Congress Committee
leader Abdul Mannan.

"The Trinamool Congress government
should work for the betterment of the people of the state and this has to be
done jointly with the Congress," he said, addressing a party panchayat
function here.

Addressing the gathering, WBPCC chief Pradip
Bhattacharya said, "Congress' importance as an alliance partner should not
be undermined and should be judged realistically."

"Workers must learn to shed their
frustration and work for the party," he added.

Chalsa (WB): Adivasi leaders
of Dooars and Terai in West Bengal today met state Chief Minister Mamata
Banerjee and said they would not allow any area from the two tribal regions to
be included in the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration formed recently.

The Gorkha Janmukti Morcha had demanded
at the time of the GTA agreement that some mouzas of the two adivasi regions be
included in the authority. While Dooars has 98 mouzas, Terai has 123.

The Dooars lies on the foothills of the
eastern Himalayas around Bhutan while Terai is the area near the Siwalik range,
the lowest outer foothills of the Himalayas.

Representatives of various adivasi
organisations like the Toto Kalyan Samiti, Bodo People's Forum and Akhil
Bharatiya Adivasi Vikas Parishad in a meeting with the Chief Minister here put
forward three alternatives.

Either an authority on the lines of the
GTA to be named as Adivasi Territorial Administration for the two regions be
formed, an Adivasi Autonomous Council be created or both the regions be
included in the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution.

They also submitted some memorandums
containing their demands to the Chief Minister.